St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-26
Place of Observation
Higher. #Lower.
THAT FccENTRJC PREACHER.

Since the days of GEORGE WHITEFIELD
there has been no Teyivalist who has made
such stir and at the same time created so
profound an impression in religious circles
as the sallow- faced little Georgian, who is
now conducting series of revival meetings
in our sister city. From the time he first
came into prominence as preacher SAM
JONES has been a mystery to great many
and an interesting study to all. The news
papers have discussed him and theolOgianS
have uuarrelled over him. Critics have
barked at him and occasionally he has
stopped to kick back at them. But in the
main he has kept straight ahead In his
earnest work of preaching and eXhorting,
looking neither to the right nor to the left.
apparently Indifferent to criticism and re-
buke. and only anxious that the gospel as he
breaches it shall find lodging place in the
hearts of the vast congregations which
flock to hear him. However much the
straight-laced teachers of orthodoxy have
denounced the pulpit methods of SAN
JONES, they have been forced to admit that
his preaching has been accompanied by an
JUNCTION and power which has been
sadly lacking in their own pulpits.
There were others who, in an apol-
ogetic way, admitted that SAM
JONES could do good among the lower
classes, which could not be reached by or
binary pulpit methods. And yet these
same apologize critics have lived to see the
backwoods Georgia preacher invade cul-
tured Boston and create a sensation in that
modern Athens, the like of which has not
been seen since GEORGE WHITEHEAD
preached to an audience of 10000 people
on Boston common.
In many respects there is striking SIM
ilarity between JONES and WHITEFIELD.
Both came of humble beginnings. and both
had religious patents. WHITEFIELD was
Methodist and so is JONES. WHITE
FIELD was an Independent sort of fellow.
who didn't agree with the WEsLEYs in
everything and always followed his own
convictions. This same independence is a
marked characteristic of SAM JONES; he
would just as soon differ with a Methodist
brother as any other. Physically GEORGE
WHITEFIELD was a different type
Of man from SAM Jones; but
there is striking resemblance in their
mental power, religious views and pulpit
methods. WHITEFIELD was tall in per-
son, had light complexion and small, blue
eyes. SAM JONES is low in stature, has a
sallow complexion and large, black, lumin-
Gus eyes. But, like WHITFIELD, his
voice is marvelously rich, sweet and
sonorous. The style of eloquence of
both men is the same - severely
or lNrTTT dol.
odd illustrations. anecdotes. local illusions.
colloquial phrases and always spoken in the
language of the common people. Those
who have heard SAM JONES will readily
recognize the similarity of his style to that
of the immortal WHITFIELD. And it is
just here lies the secret of the marvellous
success of these two remarkable men. SAN
JONES, like WHITEFIELD, is an earnest
practical preacher whose constant theme is
this life and its duties, and who recognizes
goodness wherever it is found, inside OF
outside the churches, as from God. The
heaven which he breaches about is not some
far away mythical place, without definite
location, but it is heaven right here in Min.
nesota. The hell which SAM JONES urges
his hearers to flee from is not of DANTE,s
creation. but it is that hell which is found
in too many homes in this country. The
gospel which SAM JONES breaches teaches
that it is more CHRIsT-like for man to BIZ
Mt home rocking baby's cradle to relieve
his worn out wife than it is to be leading ;
prayer meeting at the expense Of
both wife and baby. The rarit,
of this kind of gospel preaching
IN this age is the reason why hi
critics so often speak of Brother JONES a.
.'that eccentric preacher" His eccentricit,
consists in the rarity of his gospel doctrine
And yet it is the same old-fashioned doc
tziue that PAUL and PETER preached II
sss early days. 1t is no wonder, then, tina